The present disclosure relates generally to a dielectric resonator antenna (DRA), particularly to a multiple layer DRA, and more particularly to a broadband multiple layer DRA for microwave and millimeter wave applications.
Existing resonators and arrays employ patch antennas, and while such antennas may be suitable for their intended purpose, they also have drawbacks, such as limited bandwidth, limited efficiency, and therefore limited gain. Techniques that have been employed to improve the bandwidth for particular applications have typically led to expensive and complicated multilayer and multi-patch designs, and it remains challenging to achieve desired bandwidths for such particular applications, which may, but not necessarily, include bandwidths greater than 25%. However, other applications that may relate to improved directionality in the far field may include bandwidths as low as 5% or less. Furthermore, multilayer designs add to unit cell intrinsic losses, and therefore reduce the antenna gain. Additionally, patch and multi-patch antenna arrays employing a complicated combination of metal and dielectric substrates make them difficult to produce using newer manufacturing techniques available today, such as three-dimensional (3D) printing (also known as additive manufacturing).
Accordingly, and while existing DRAs may be suitable for their intended purpose, the art of DRAs would be advanced with a DRA structure that can overcome the above noted drawbacks.